Dudley
Dudley was given to 6 boys in 2025, #11,013 among boys’ names; 11,988 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 4,150 Americans named Dudley and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (35% of everyone recorded); the median is 68 years old and half are between 56 and 76.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Dudley by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Dudley mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Dudley is “a male given name transferred from the surname, of 19th century and later usage.” Its etymology gives the sense “wood or clearing of Dudda (a personal name of unknown meaning)” (literally).
From Old English, literally “wood or clearing of Dudda (a personal name of unknown meaning)”.
/ˈdʌdli/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Dudley?
#11,013 among boys’ names, 2025
Dudley fell from #9,833 in 2015 to #11,013 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 3.7 to 3.5 per million.
286 babies in 1931, the peak
Dudley peaked in 1931, when 286 babies were given it (279 boys, #328 among boys’ names). The 6 births of 2025 are 2% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | #11,013 | under 0.01 |
| 2024 | 9 | #8,500 | 0.01 |
| 2023 | 12 | #7,003 | 0.01 |
| 2022 | 7 | #10,085 | under 0.01 |
| 2021 | 8 | #9,041 | under 0.01 |
| 2020 | 8 | #8,948 | under 0.01 |
| 2019 | 10 | #7,785 | 0.01 |
| 2018 | 7 | #9,952 | under 0.01 |
| 2017 | 12 | #6,800 | 0.01 |
| 2016 | 12 | #6,831 | 0.01 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 7 | #9,833 | under 0.01 |
| 2014 | 8 | #8,995 | under 0.01 |
| 2013 | 7 | #9,934 | under 0.01 |
| 2012 | 11 | #7,187 | 0.01 |
| 2011 | 14 | #6,025 | 0.01 |
| 2010 | 9 | #8,317 | under 0.01 |
| 2009 | 5 | #12,996 | under 0.01 |
| 2008 | 11 | #7,332 | 0.01 |
| 2007 | 8 | #9,122 | under 0.01 |
| 2006 | 13 | #6,197 | 0.01 |
| 2005 | 13 | #5,958 | 0.01 |
| 2004 | 10 | #7,113 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 14 | #5,343 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 10 | #6,667 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 9 | #7,069 | under 0.01 |
| 2000 | 14 | #5,102 | 0.01 |
| 1999 | 17 | #4,197 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 14 | #4,712 | 0.01 |
| 1997 | 12 | #5,039 | 0.01 |
| 1996 | 25 | #2,948 | 0.01 |
| 1995 | 21 | #3,217 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 15 | #4,144 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 23 | #2,959 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 19 | #3,364 | 0.01 |
| 1991 | 23 | #2,847 | 0.01 |
| 1990 | 30 | #2,321 | 0.01 |
| 1989 | 35 | #2,037 | 0.02 |
| 1988 | 20 | #2,778 | 0.01 |
| 1987 | 24 | #2,348 | 0.01 |
| 1986 | 25 | #2,246 | 0.01 |
| 1985 | 33 | #1,805 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 27 | #1,995 | 0.01 |
| 1983 | 33 | #1,720 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 26 | #2,071 | 0.01 |
| 1981 | 34 | #1,703 | 0.02 |
| 1980 | 34 | #1,705 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 25 | #2,062 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 32 | #1,698 | 0.02 |
| 1977 | 34 | #1,619 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 25 | #1,947 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 49 | #1,213 | 0.03 |
| 1974 | 35 | #1,480 | 0.02 |
| 1973 | 48 | #1,190 | 0.03 |
| 1972 | 55 | #1,101 | 0.03 |
| 1971 | 52 | #1,139 | 0.03 |
| 1970 | 56 | #1,094 | 0.03 |
| 1969 | 68 | #927 | 0.04 |
| 1968 | 61 | #935 | 0.04 |
| 1967 | 83 | #799 | 0.05 |
| 1966 | 72 | #857 | 0.04 |
| 1965 | 97 | #752 | 0.05 |
| 1964 | 105 | #749 | 0.05 |
| 1963 | 135 | #674 | 0.07 |
| 1962 | 133 | #674 | 0.06 |
| 1961 | 135 | #671 | 0.06 |
| 1960 | 150 | #635 | 0.07 |
| 1959 | 146 | #638 | 0.07 |
| 1958 | 191 | #558 | 0.09 |
| 1957 | 159 | #608 | 0.07 |
| 1956 | 181 | #563 | 0.09 |
| 1955 | 173 | #561 | 0.08 |
| 1954 | 197 | #515 | 0.10 |
| 1953 | 192 | #503 | 0.10 |
| 1952 | 210 | #484 | 0.11 |
| 1951 | 199 | #479 | 0.11 |
| 1950 | 211 | #454 | 0.12 |
| 1949 | 185 | #486 | 0.10 |
| 1948 | 206 | #466 | 0.12 |
| 1947 | 224 | #448 | 0.12 |
| 1946 | 171 | #492 | 0.11 |
| 1945 | 154 | #484 | 0.11 |
| 1944 | 159 | #480 | 0.12 |
| 1943 | 185 | #464 | 0.13 |
| 1942 | 182 | #458 | 0.13 |
| 1941 | 176 | #439 | 0.14 |
| 1940 | 156 | #464 | 0.13 |
| 1939 | 164 | #447 | 0.15 |
| 1938 | 149 | #475 | 0.13 |
| 1937 | 157 | #447 | 0.15 |
| 1936 | 164 | #441 | 0.16 |
| 1935 | 173 | #426 | 0.17 |
| 1934 | 190 | #399 | 0.18 |
| 1933 | 169 | #419 | 0.17 |
| 1932 | 204 | #393 | 0.20 |
| 1931 | 279 | #328 | 0.27 |
| 1930 | 207 | #405 | 0.19 |
| 1929 | 185 | #433 | 0.17 |
| 1928 | 181 | #445 | 0.16 |
| 1927 | 192 | #440 | 0.17 |
| 1926 | 237 | #379 | 0.21 |
| 1925 | 188 | #439 | 0.17 |
| 1924 | 202 | #431 | 0.18 |
| 1923 | 215 | #410 | 0.20 |
| 1922 | 180 | #462 | 0.17 |
| 1921 | 185 | #452 | 0.17 |
| 1920 | 199 | #425 | 0.19 |
| 1919 | 192 | #424 | 0.20 |
| 1918 | 187 | #427 | 0.18 |
| 1917 | 196 | #405 | 0.21 |
| 1916 | 184 | #410 | 0.21 |
| 1915 | 167 | #418 | 0.20 |
| 1914 | 143 | #398 | 0.22 |
| 1913 | 103 | #424 | 0.20 |
| 1912 | 113 | #364 | 0.26 |
| 1911 | 41 | #458 | 0.18 |
| 1910 | 36 | #456 | 0.19 |
| 1909 | 25 | #520 | 0.15 |
| 1908 | 34 | #408 | 0.22 |
| 1907 | 46 | #314 | 0.31 |
| 1906 | 32 | #381 | 0.24 |
| 1905 | 31 | #371 | 0.23 |
| 1904 | 29 | #381 | 0.23 |
| 1903 | 35 | #319 | 0.29 |
| 1902 | 21 | #463 | 0.17 |
| 1901 | 26 | #364 | 0.24 |
| 1900 | 33 | #385 | 0.22 |
| 1899 | 26 | #355 | 0.24 |
| 1898 | 25 | #396 | 0.20 |
| 1897 | 24 | #385 | 0.21 |
| 1896 | 27 | #371 | 0.23 |
| 1895 | 23 | #400 | 0.20 |
| 1894 | 34 | #301 | 0.29 |
| 1893 | 25 | #361 | 0.22 |
| 1892 | 27 | #371 | 0.22 |
| 1891 | 24 | #350 | 0.24 |
| 1890 | 18 | #427 | 0.16 |
| 1889 | 30 | #319 | 0.27 |
| 1888 | 30 | #333 | 0.25 |
| 1887 | 23 | #342 | 0.23 |
| 1886 | 24 | #348 | 0.22 |
| 1885 | 28 | #320 | 0.26 |
| 1884 | 26 | #345 | 0.23 |
| 1883 | 24 | #340 | 0.23 |
| 1882 | 28 | #324 | 0.25 |
| 1881 | 30 | #291 | 0.30 |
| 1880 | 27 | #329 | 0.24 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Dudley a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 11,988 Americans recorded as Dudley, 1% are girls and 99% boys. In 2025 it went to 6 boys; SSA lists no girls with it that year (fewer than 5, or none).
Girls and boys named Dudley: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Dudley, and how old are they?
4,150 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 35% of the 11,988 Americans ever recorded as Dudley. The median Dudley alive today is 68 years old; half are between 56 and 76.
The 2020 Census counted 5,342 people named Dudley (127 women and girls, 5,215 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 5,004 born in the U.S. The Census count is 7% above that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 605 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 2,140 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 719 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 392 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 181 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 112 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Dudley born?
The states with the most babies named Dudley are Louisiana, Texas and New York, with 39% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Louisiana is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 1,055 | not ranked | 4.6× |
| Texas | 987 | not ranked | 1.5× |
| New York | 692 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| California | 494 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Mississippi | 430 | not ranked | 2.1× |
| Tennessee | 360 | not ranked | 1.3× |
| Kentucky | 354 | not ranked | 1.4× |
| Ohio | 330 | not ranked | 0.6× |
| Alabama | 269 | not ranked | 1.0× |
| Virginia | 238 | not ranked | 0.9× |
Where Dudley is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Dudley is most over-represented in Louisiana: since 1910 it was given 4.6 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Dudley with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Dudley
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Dudley and names like it
- Compare Dudley and HowellBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1930sDudley peaked in 1931.
- Louisiana’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Dudley since 1910.
- From surnamesWiktionary’s origin for Dudley: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 1931The year the most babies were named Dudley.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Dudley alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with DMost given first.